Major master looking for spring success

Padraig Harrington cannot wait for next year's Masters after winning his second major in a month at Oakland Hills on Sunday.

The world number three won the 90th US PGA Championship in Detroit by two shots from Ben Curtis and Sergio Garcia, three weeks after retaining his Open Championship title by four strokes at Royal Birkdale.

"I love the idea of the back nine of a major on a Sunday," Harrington said. "I love it so much that I'm actually disappointed I'm seven months away from the next major, and I don't know what I'm going to do."

Harrington said he had specifically worked on finding the right approach to the majors as opposed to the European and PGA Tour events he contests week in, week out.

He added: "I have struggled, I've really focused hard on the majors the last two years. My whole schedule is built around majors.

"And definitely I've turned up at other events, and unless I get into contention, you know, sometimes it feels like a race; like a sprint. Whereas, a major feels like a marathon.

"I feel like I can be patient and take my time. And I love the feeling of knowing that it's going to come down to the back nine; it's going to come down to who can do it under pressure in the last nine holes."

The Irishman admitted, though, that he has to convert that excitement he generates from being in the majors to the regular weeks of competition.

He said: "That is an issue for me, that I do have to play better when I feel confident about my game in a normal week when I have plenty of good performances.

"I need the adrenaline. I need to either be in contention or have something up or something wrong in order to get that bit of excitement going in me."